1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to virtual environments such as used in computer gaming, and in particular for games that simulate an actual 3-D environment and allow for simultaneous participation of multiple players via remotely-located clients.
2. Description of Related Art
Various simulation games are known in which a 3-D physical world (actual or fantasy) is simulated. Games of this type are sometimes referred to as “virtual reality” or “virtual reality universe” (VRU) games. In known VRU games, an actual or fantasy universe is simulated within a computer memory. Multiple players may participate in a in the game through a computer network, such as a local area network or a wide area network. Each player selects an “avatar,” often a three-dimensional figure of a man, woman, or other being, to represent them in the VRU environment. Players send inputs to a VRU engine to move their avatars around the VRU environment, and are able to cause interaction between their avatars and objects in the VRU. For example, a player's avatar may interact with an automated entity or person, simulated static objects, or avatars operated by other players.
The VRU may take the form of at least one area or environment which is a virtual-reality three-dimensional map existing in a computer memory of a host, consisting of elements that may include but are not limited to representations of rooms, outdoor areas, exotic environments, objects, people, animals, robots, avatars, robot avatars, time elements, additional spatial elements, and activities. Users establish a presence in the VRU by creating or using an avatar, which is a three-dimensional representative of the user in the VRU, and which can be navigated by the user around various environments in the VRU via a remote client. A view or views of the VRU are displayed to the user using a computer display and user interface software as known in the art. Each user provides input to a computer controlling the VRU using an input device connected to a local node or client, which is in turn connected to the networked computer system. The VRU is shared by all players and participants, using elements from the common memory.
The computer system is used to control the action of the avatars in response to user input. For example, avatars may be limited to simply observing the environment or area. That is, the client may not be permitted to influence any modeled object in the VRU environment by providing control input to the host for control of the client's avatar. But usually, avatars can interact with some or all of: other avatars, objects, the environment (e.g., walls, floors, roads, lakes, etc.), and automated or robotic avatars within at least one environment. In these cases, client control input may be permitted to cause changes in the modeled objects, such as moving other objects, opening doors, and so forth. It should be understood that “interaction” by an avatar with another modeled object in a VRU environment means that the game engine simulates an interaction in the modeled environment, in response to receiving client control input for the avatar. Interactions by one avatar with any other avatar, object, the environment or automated or robotic avatars may, in some cases, result in outcomes that may effect or otherwise be observed or experienced by other avatars, objects, the environment, and automated or robotic avatars within the at least one environment of the VRU.
One feature of the VRU is that it provides users with the ability to experience networked activities in a manner that is different from the current internet or the World Wide Web. Activities such as chat and shopping are distinguished from similar activities on the internet by the three-dimensional representations of other people, avatars, objects, etc. One drawback of the VRU is that, as in the actual world, the three-dimensional areas and environments are not customized to individual users.
As an example, in the current implementation of VRU's, a user's avatar may enter a virtual bookstore looking for a specific kind of book, say computer programming. The user may navigate his avatar into the store and observe other avatars and robotic sales-clerks. There may be an area filled with book-shelves that contain all manner of books on computers. This layout, which has been fixed by the store designer, may not be efficient for the user, as there may be too many related but unhelpful books for the user efficiently to find a useful book. Therefore, notwithstanding the advantages of existing VRU environments, it is desirable to provide new environments that overcome these and other limitations of the prior art.